ITLOS Newsletter

Amendment to the Rules of the Tribunal

25 September 2018

On 25 September 2018, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea amended article 60, paragraph 2, and article 61, paragraph 3, of the Rules of the Tribunal, relating to the adoption by the Tribunal of a decision authorizing a second round of written pleadings.

President Paik welcomed Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares, to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on 18 September 2018.

President Paik reports to the Meeting of States Parties

11 June 2018

On 11 June 2018, Judge Jin-Hyun Paik, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, presented the Tribunal’s annual report for 2017 to the 28th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Tribunal will participate in Hamburg's 'Long Night of the Consulates' on 15 May 2018

8 May 2018

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea will participate in the 'Long Night of the Consulates' on Tuesday, 15 May 2018. On that day, the general public will have the opportunity to visit the headquarters building in Hamburg (Nienstedten) from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and learn about the work of the Tribunal.

ITLOS Regional Workshop

4 May 2018

The Tribunal held its 13th regional workshop on “The role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea” on the Island of São Vicente, Cabo Verde on 2 and 3 May 2018. President Paik and Mr José Gonçalves, Minister of Maritime Economy of Cabo Verde, gave a statement at the opening ceremony. Presentations on the dispute settlement mechanism established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea were given by the President, Judges Jesus and Bouguetaia and Registrar Gautier. The workshop was attended by representatives of nine States (Angola, Benin, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d‘Ivoire, Guinea (Republic of), São Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Togo) and of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission.

Publications

The Contribution of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to the Rule of Law: 1996–2016

On the occasion of its 20th Anniversary, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea held a one-and-a-half day international symposium at the premises of the Tribunal on 5 and 6 October 2016, on the theme “The contribution of the Tribunal to the Rule of Law”.

The aim of the symposium was to highlight the role played by the Tribunal over the last 20 years in the system for the peaceful settlement of law of the sea related disputes, set out in Part XV of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Approximately 180 international guest attended the symposium, which was designed for academics and legal practitioners. The symposium was organized with the financial support of the Government of Japan. This publication reproduces the statements presented during the symposium, in the order in which they were delivered and in their original language.The question and answer sessions have not been transcribed for this volume.

Digest of Jurisprudence

The Digest of Jurisprudence of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which makes available to academics, practitioners and students summaries of cases brought before the Tribunal as well as excerpts from the Tribunal’s decisions, is now available here.

Capacity Building

In cooperation with the Nippon Foundation, the Tribunal runs an annual capacity-building and training programme on dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The full-time programme, which runs for nine months and begins in July each year, takes place at the seat of the Tribunal in Hamburg, Germany.

The programme is aimed at junior to mid-level government officials and researchers currently working on issues related to the law of the sea or dispute settlement. It provides participants with a unique opportunity to develop their legal skills and deepen their practical knowledge of dispute settlement in the law of the sea under UNCLOS.

Approximately twenty internships are available each year for students of law, international relations, public relations, political science, library science and translation. The programme is designed to give participants the opportunity to gain an understanding of the work and functions of the Tribunal and to enable the Tribunal and its members to benefit from the assistance of persons with relevant knowledge and skills in areas within the scope of activities of the Tribunal.